


Simple Melancholy

by authors_bane



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kooks (Outer Banks), Pogues (Outer Banks), a pogue falls in love with a kook you know the drill, jj is a protective big brother, jj's little sister falls in love with a kook, kinda romeo and juliet but not really, mentions of domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:02:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24837370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/authors_bane/pseuds/authors_bane
Summary: Jemma Maybank has a reputation. Despite her brother being fiercely protective of everything she does, she's known for pretty much all the same things he is; drinking, smoking, partying hard, and sleeping around. The only thing she would change in her life would be to get her brother off her back from time to time. When she takes a tutoring job on Figure Eight, she finds herself falling into a world she had never thought possible.Kelce wasn't really the type to slum it with girls from the cut. That was more Rafe's genre. But when he meets Jemma and realized that she was a person separate from the Pogue he detested so much, he can't help but feel that they could be something more than just sort-of-friends. But he also knows that the bad blood between the pogues and the kooks could very well keep them apart, especially when it came to one JJ Maybank.
Relationships: Kelce x OC
Comments: 7
Kudos: 23





	1. Nail Polish

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Sarah! She requested a story that was based around JJ's sister and I have been bouncing around this idea of Kelce and a Pogue for a while, so I just combined the two! I hope this is alright. This first chapter is a little short, just because it's sort of a start to see how people like it. Let me know what you think!

Jemma spat up a mouth full of water before flopping on her back, her body shaking with hysterical laughter.  
“Jemma!” A voice called from the shore. “What the hell?”  
She pushed herself up onto her elbows, turning her head ever so slightly to glance over her shoulder. Running toward her was her brother, JJ, and all of his friends. Jemma sighed and flopped back against the warm sand as they neared.  
“That was a sick dive, Little J,” John B said with a laugh and a smile as they slowed to a stop around her. Jemma pushed herself to her feet, her legs shaking underneath her.  
“Are you okay?” Kie asked, putting hands on her friend’s arms in an attempt to steady her. Jemma’s grin never once wobbled.  
“Never better,” Jemma reassured her.  
“What the hell?” JJ asked again, shoving his sister backward and away from Kie. She laughed and brushed wet hair out of her face.  
“What’s got your panties in a twist, J?” Jemma laughed. “It’s just cliff diving.”  
“I told you never to go without someone there to watch you,” JJ said, grabbing Jemma by her arm.  
“Jeez.” Jemma pulled her arm away, smile dropping and a scowl forming on her face. “I was just having some fun before you guys got here. Is that a crime?”  
“Jemma-”  
“God, JJ, just let me breathe for once.”  
Jemma wrapped her arms around her stomach and pushed past him, knocking into his shoulder as she stormed off.  
“Little J, wait!” Kie called after her, but Jemma didn’t turn back around.  
“She’s right, bro,” Jemma heard Pope say. “You are really tough on her.”  
“She does stupid shit.”  
“You do stupid shit.”  
“Yeah, I know,” JJ snapped. “But I don’t want her to be me. I want her to be better.”  
Jemma rolled her eyes as she walked toward her car. She heard the speech before. ‘Be better, Jemma’, ‘Do better, Jemma’, ‘What would Mom have wanted, Jemma?’ Frankly, she was sick of it. She just wanted to be Jemma, and not have all the other stuff tacked on with it.  
Being a Maybank wasn’t easy. It never had been. Mom died, Dad was an asshole, JJ wanted to keep her in a box, and everyone else already had a picture painted of her that she was some lowlife daughter of a mechanic who wasn’t going anywhere in life.  
Even as she shoved her front door open, Jemma was still fuming. Dripping wet and angry head to toe, she made her way to the back of the house where her room was. She wrapped her hair in a towel before changing and flopping onto her bed. She sat there, wallowing in her irritation with her face against her pillow until there was a ding on the family computer.  
Jemma was the only one who ever really used it for anything other than porn and Instagram, so she knew it was for her. Rolling out of bed with a groan, she shuffled over to Luke’s room. She plopped herself down at the computer and opened the email browser.  
As she read the email, a smile started to spread across her face.  
There were two ways that Jemma could get a job. The first; dress like a skank and smile at old, rich men until they threw money at her for some meager task. The second; lie about where she lived and who her dad was for a good first impression. She had tried to get a decent job going the official route, but no one wanted her. And she was tired of having men peering down her shirt or at her ass while she worked.  
A few weeks ago, Jemma had put up an add as a tutor. Believe it or not, she was smarter than she let on. Her grades weren’t perfect by a long shot, but that was because she didn’t really turn in assignments. She aced almost every test and essay that a teacher could drop down in front of her. When Jemma was younger, it was a source of pride to both of her parents (and a reason for JJ to pick fun at her). But now her dad didn’t care and her mom was gone, so she saw no reason to keep her grades up.  
However, Pope told her that it was a great asset to have, that most of the kids on this island were lacking in their grades. And he knew a couple of kids with parents who would pay big bucks to get A’s on report cards. So, Jemma offered her services. She promised to keep it on the down low, no one else would have to know. As long as she got paid, she wouldn’t say a word to anyone.  
And today was the first response to her ad. Jemma’s smile pulled wider.  
***  
“Will you help me out with this?” JJ asked, trying to push something in the backyard.  
“Sorry,” Jemma said as she blew against her fingernails. “Can’t. Just did my nails.”  
JJ dropped the metal object, whatever it was, and looked up at his sister with narrowed eyes. He squinted against the sunlight, putting his hands on his hips.  
“Since when did you care about your nails?” He asked. Jemma shrugging, continuing to blow against her nails.  
“Since now.”  
JJ dropped his hands and walked inside with a huff. Jemma let out a sigh, knowing full well that she would have to follow him. He could be like a pouty child when he wanted to be, especially when he was upset with her. Jemma pushed herself out of her chair and followed after her brother.  
“What?” She asked, crossing her arms.  
“You’re wasting your money on nail polish?” JJ asked, turning around to face her. Jemma was taken aback, a scowl settling onto her face.  
“I’m sorry, what?”  
“You heard me.”  
Jemma let out a bitter laugh.  
“Wasting my money? What, like how you spend all of yours on booze and weed?” JJ scowled at her. “I bought $2 nail polish from the General Store, JJ. Where’s the crime in that?”  
“What do you need nail polish for anyway?” JJ asked. Jemma’s scowl dropped and she leaned back against the wall, looking to the floor. It didn’t matter how much Jemma and JJ fought, they had a rule. Never lie to each other, no matter how small it seemed, they never lied. So, Jemma couldn’t just tell him that she wanted to buy to nail polish to look pretty because he would know she wasn’t telling the truth.  
“I have my first tutoring gig later today,” she said, refusing to look up at him. “I wanted...I wanted to look nice. The family doesn’t know I’m from the cut.”  
JJ’s face softened as he let out a sigh.  
“I didn’t know-”  
“No, you didn’t. Maybe next time you won’t get on my ass about two dollars worth of nail polish.” Jemma turned around and started for her room.  
“Jemma, wait.” JJ followed after her, grabbing her by the wrist. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have been on your ass and I’m sorry. You’re going to do a great job today.”  
Jemma nodded her head slowly.  
“Thanks, J.” He let go of her wrist. “I have to finish getting ready.”  
***  
Jemma let out a heavy sigh as she stepped up to the front door. She’d been on Figure Eight before, stood on the doorstep of a Kook house. But it had always been with someone she trusted, going into Kie’s house usually or helping Pope run deliveries. Now she was alone and she had no idea whether or not she could trust them.  
Knocking on the door, Jemma plastered a smile on her face. Her smile fell instantly as soon as the door was opened.  
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”  
Jemma resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she saw Kelce standing in the doorway. From the look on his face, she could tell he felt the same way.  
“You’re the tutor my parents hired?” He asked, accusation heavy in his voice.  
“Apparently. Um, where are they? I’d like to talk to them,” Jemma said, forcing a smile back onto her lips.  
“They’re not here.” Kelce crossed his arms. Jemma sighed and rubbed a headache out of her forehead with her fingers.  
“Can I come in?”  
Kelce narrowed his eyes.  
“Your brother beat me up last Friday at that kegger on the Boneyard,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. Jemma lifted her shoulders, pressing her lips into a thin line.  
“What my brother does is none of my business.”  
“You were there. You laughed.”  
“I guess it was funny then.” When Kelce didn’t laugh or even smile, Jemma let out a sigh and pinched her eyes together. “Look, your parents already paid me. Can I come in or not?”  
Jemma watched as Kelce’s eyes dropped to scan her body with his eyes. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.  
“Don’t want to waste my loving parents’ charity money, do I?” Kelce gave Jemma a sarcastic smile. Jemma reciprocated it and pushed past him into the house. “You clean up good, Maybank.”  
“That’s why you’re failing English, Kelce,” Jemma said, admiring the cleanness of his house. “I clean up well, not good.”  
Kelce’s smirk dropped and he shut the door, slamming it a little harder than it needed.  
“How the hell did you manage to be a tutor?” Kelce asked, walking past Jemma and sitting at the island. He had a bowl of cereal in front of him, but he pushed it away toward the sink.  
“However little you think of me, Kelce,” Jemma said. “My grades are better than yours and that’s all that matters. Should we get to studying?”  
“I think I want to get to know my tutor a little bit better,” Kelce said, looking her up and down again. Jemma glared at him.  
“I know you know my brother and believe me when I tell you this-” Jemma slid into a chair beside Kelce. “If he doesn’t kill you, I will.”  
Kelce watched her for a few moments before laughing.  
“Your brother’s a real son of a bitch, you know.” Kelce pointed a spoon at her. “But you’re not half bad.”  
“My brother and I are almost exactly the same,” Jemma told him, trying not to take offense at the comment about her brother. If she fought every person who talked bad about him, she’d spend all of her time fighting the entire island. “Only reason you like me any better is because I haven’t punched you in the face yet.”  
Kelce stood and walked over to the fridge. He pulled out two beers and offered one to Jemma, which she took gratefully.  
“Rafe’s told me all about your uppercut,” Kelce said as he popped open his beer. Jemma shrugged.  
“What can I say? My daddy taught me well.”  
She laughed as Kelce choked on his beer.  
“I’ll, uh, I’ll go grab my homework,” Kelce said. Jemma popped open her beer and took a long swig. She waited at the island until Kelce came back with his backpack. Kicking off the kitten heels that Kie had lent her, Jemma turned toward Kelce as he plopped his bag onto the countertop.  
“I’ve got two overdue essays that I have to turn in by the end of this week,” he said, not sitting back down. “And a math test on Thursday. You get those done and I’ll maybe tell my parents you weren’t a complete waste of their money.”  
Jemma watched at him with a look of disbelief, her lips parted ever so slightly.  
“Um, no,” she said, grabbing hold of his wrist before he could walk away. “I’m not here to do your homework for you. I’m here to help you do your homework yourself.”  
Kelce looked down at her hand as if she was actively giving him the plague.  
“I could just call the police and get you booted out of here if that’s what you want,” he said. Jemma let his wrist go and sat up straighter, tension building in her jaw.  
“Here I thought you weren’t the conceited prick everyone says you are,” Jemma said. She stood from the stool, shoving her feet back into the too small heels.  
“And by everyone, you mean your psycho brother and his band of misfit toys, right?”  
She hadn’t meant to shove him backward, but it came out of her so quickly she couldn’t help it. He almost looked insulted.  
“Fail your English class for all I care, Kelce,” she seethed, plucking her beer off of the counter. “Flunk that math test and then go crying to Mommy and Daddy about it. But don’t talk bad about my brother and think that will get you anywhere.”  
“Jemma, I’m sorry,” he tried as she made for the door. “I shouldn’t have said that-”  
“No, you shouldn’t have.” She side stepped him before he could grab her wrist and keep her from leaving. “But you did. So, I’m leaving.”  
She threw the door open, ready to go home and take a long shower.  
“Wait!” There was desperation in Kelce’s voice. Against her better judgment, she actually froze where she was. With her hand still on the doorknob, Jemma turned her head partially, just so she could barely see him standing there in the corner of her eyes. “I need to pass these classes. I can’t do it by myself.”  
Jemma tilted her head even farther and flicked her ear to tell him that there was something else she still wanted to hear.  
“I’m sorry I called your brother a son of a bitch and a psycho,” Kecle said with a heavy sigh. “But I need your help.”  
Jemma whirled around, placing a smile back on her face. She shut the door and set her beer on the counter.  
“Great! Well, there’s gonna have to be a few rules around here,” she said, walking toward him and flicking the heels off once again. “First, we don’t talk about my brother. This is a brother free zone, got it?”  
“Fine by me,” Kelce agreed, watching her carefully as she got closer.  
“Second, I will not be doing a single assignment for you. Everything is done by your own hand. I won’t even pick up a pencil.”  
“Fine.” Kelce’s voice tightened when she stopped just inches away from him. She crossed her arms slowly.  
“Lastly, whatever happens in this house, stays in this house. I don’t need people on my side of the island knowing that I’m helping a Kook out and I heavily doubt you want any of your friends knowing that JJ Maybank’s little sister is helping you pass your classes. Agreed?”  
She offered out her hand for him to shake. He took it.  
“Agreed.”  
“Good. Let’s get to work.”  
Jemma sat back down in her chair, spinning it back and forth. She didn’t have any of those swivel chairs at home and she liked the way it moved. It was going to be a blast working here as long as she got to sit in one of these all the time.  
“Two follow up questions,” Kelce said slowly as he made his way into his own seat. “You’re younger than JJ by how much?”  
“I thought we agreed on not talking about my brother?”  
“Well, I’m asking about you, technically.”  
Jemma thought about it for a moment, chewing on her lip. She supposed he was right.  
“We’re twins actually, but he acts like an annoyingly protective big brother so everyone just assumes he’s older, but I was born first.”  
“Interesting.” Kelce took a drink of his beer. “And when you say what happens in this house stays in this house, that means anything could happen, right?”  
Jemma felt herself smiling despite herself. She knew precisely what he had been implying. She was sure he had been thinking about it since his parents told him he was getting a tutor. If she had a guy come into her house to tutor her, she would be all over him in seconds. But this was strictly professional.  
“No, Kelce, that doesn’t mean anything could happen,” she told him, giving his hand a little pat. “Let’s start on those essays, yeah?”


	2. Ten Foot Pole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jemma reveals something to Kelce that starts a more than strictly professional conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of past abuse

The water beat against Jemma, her surfboard flying over her head. She tried to push herself to the surface, but another wave crashed into her before she could. The force of the water pushed her into the hard sand, but the pain didn’t register. All Jemma could think about was getting a breath of air. 

It wasn’t until the waves pushed her onto the shore that she could finally breathe. Coughing up water and gasping for air, Jemma crawled away from the water. 

“That was a nasty wipeout, Little J!” John B said, laughing as he and the others ran over to her. 

“Jemma, are you okay?” JJ asked. He dropped to the sand and put a hand on her back as he brushed wet and matted hair out of her face. Nodding, Jemma coughed again. “Come on.” 

JJ ducked under her arm and helped her to her feet, moving her farther away from the water. John B, Kie, and Pope followed, dropping their surfboards into the sand. JJ lowered his sister back onto the ground as she continued to suck in deep breaths. 

“That...was...sick,” she said, gasping with each word. And then she smiled up at her brother. He shook his head, wrapped his arm around her neck, and tugged her in for a side hug. 

“It was pretty cool,” JJ said with a grin. “That’s going in the pogue hall of fails, Little J.” 

“Anyone get a picture?” She teased. Kie and Pope, who were still standing with worried looks on their faces, glanced between each other. John B walked over to the cooler they had brought for surfing day and pulled out a beer bottle. When he came back, he handed it off to Jemma and JJ didn’t even protest. 

Once she could breathe steadily enough, Jemma popped open the beer and took a short drink. John B sat down beside her with a beer of his own. He grinned at Jemma and JJ narrowed his eyes slowly. 

“Don’t be looking at my sister like that,” JJ said. Jemma and John B looked at him with raised eyebrows. 

“Get your head out of your ass, bubba,” John B said, taking another sip. JJ looked like he was about to beat his friend into the sand, but Jemma reached out and put a hand over her brother’s. 

“Would you chill?” She asked him, a twinge of irritation in her voice. JJ huffed and dropped his hands into the sand. Jemma shook her head and took another swig of beer. She wouldn’t lie and say she would be mad if John B looked at her the way her brother always accused him of. She’d practically grown up with him, been there for him through some of his worst moments and he had been there for her in hers. Thinking about macking her brother’s best friend wasn’t the worst crime Jemma had ever committed. It was, however, the only crime that would probably get her killed. 

In an attempt to shake the thoughts away, Jemma pushed herself onto her feet, teetering ever so slightly as she did so. She felt lightheaded, her vision going dark for a second. 

“Where are you going?” Kie asked, putting a hand out to steady her friend. 

“Gotta go get my board,” Jemma replied. 

“I’ll come.” John B started to push himself upward, but not before JJ tackled him back to the sand. 

“No way in hell!” His words seemed harsh, but there was a laugh in his voice. Jemma scoffed and rolled her eyes as the boys rolled around, kicking up sand. 

“Dude!” Kie protested, trying to jump out of the way of their flailing legs. 

“I’ll come with you,” Pope said but Jemma shook her head. 

“I don’t need an escort,” she told him with a laugh. 

“I’ll come anyway.” 

Jemma shrugged and took another sip of beer. If she had felt more attached to her personal items, Jemma might have been upset that her board wasn’t currently on her person. But she had gotten used to disappointment. Losing it would just be losing another thing. From her experience, nothing stayed long, why would a surfboard? 

But, losing it would be a potential reason for her dad to get angry. Jemma’s first reaction to her dad being angry with her for losing her board was fear, but the second was bitterness. Let him hate her, let him hit her, let him throw everything he had at her. She could take it. 

“Are you even looking?” Pope asked as Jemma stared existentially out into the ocean. 

“Huh?” She turned to look at him and he raised his eyebrows. “Right.” 

Taking a long drink of beer, she narrowed her eyes and scanned the surface of the water. Waves still crashed against the shore, but there was no sign of her sunset orange board. 

“JJ said you got a tutoring gig,” Pope said, shoving his hands into his pockets. Jemma felt herself grimace. 

“Yup.” She took a drink. 

“Didn’t go well?” 

“No, it went perfectly fine. Guy’s a dickhead though.” 

“I’m sorry, Little J.”

“Don’t sweat it.” Jemma smiled behind a sip. “At least I’m making money.”

Jemma wasn’t sure why she was so quick to call Kelce a dickhead. He really hadn’t been that terrible any of the times she had come over. After their first mini fight, it seemed like everything became less tense. She helped him write his essays and study for his tests and he didn’t complain nearly as much as JJ did. He tried to ask her questions about her personal life, but she avoided them at all costs. There was no reason for him to get to know her. They weren’t friends. They were supposed to hate each other. 

But Jemma couldn’t help but feel like he tried so hard to get to know her because he wanted a real connection with someone that wasn’t just it in for his money. Then again, maybe she was just projecting. Truth be told, he was actually really sweet. And funny. And adorable. And- 

“There!” Pope put one hand on her shoulder and pointed with his other. 

“Where?”

“There, dumbass!” 

Then she saw it, floating by itself just beyond the crashing waves. A smile spread across Jemma’s face. She shoved her beer bottle into Pope’s hands and started for the water. 

“Little J, wait!” His attempts to hold her back failed, but his shouting got JJ’s attention. 

Jemma dove underneath the first wave she came in contact with. All of her senses came to life. When she was away from the water, it always felt like there was a part of her that was dead, or at least not alive. Even when the ocean tried its hardest to kill her, she always found herself yearning to be right back in it to feel that last bit of life she so deeply desired. 

Which was why, even though she had yet to completely catch her breath after her beat down, she didn’t hesitate to dive in headfirst. 

“Jemma!” She heard JJ yell over the thundering waves, but she wouldn’t listen. Even after her feet could no longer touch the ground below, Jemma didn’t slow. She maneuvered through the waves until she reached her board. 

“Reunited,” she whispered, breathless, a gleeful smile on her face. Before she clambered on top of it, she pressed a kiss against the deck. She rode the waves back to shore, her smile never once fading. But JJ was fired up all over again which was almost enough to put her back in a sour mood as she ran over with the surfboard under her arm. 

“You almost died and you just run back into the water like a maniac?” He asked. Jemma shrugged. 

“Had to get my board.” 

“I could have gotten it for you.” 

“I don’t need you to do everything for me. I’m not a baby, J.” 

“I know you’re not, but-” 

“But nothing.” Jemma tried to keep her smile. “Can I have my beer back?” 

Pope, not wanting to get between Jemma and JJ, handed the beer back to her before running back to stand next to Kie. She was waiting patiently to deescalate any situation that arose, John B laughing silently to himself to the side. Not breaking eye contact with her brother, Jemma took a long drink of her beer. He narrowed his eyes but said nothing. The wind blew and a sudden, sharp pain made Jemma gasp. 

Looking down, she saw a sand rash marred the skin around her hip bone. JJ’s eyes followed hers and he rolled his eyes. 

“That’s what you get for being a dumbass,” he said, but then he stepped forward and took the beer can from her. “We should get this cleaned out.” 

“It’s a burn, not a bullet hole,” Jemma said with a roll of her eyes. 

“It looks pretty bad, Little J,” John B said, walking over to her and JJ. She looked up at met his concerned look. “We should get you home

“Okay,” she said, her voice cracking. 

“ _Okay _,” JJ mocked her voice. Jemma slapped her hand against his shoulder. “Ow! What the hell!”__

__“You’re a douche,” Jemma snapped. JJ sneered._ _

__“Well, you’re stuck with me.”_ _

__“I’ll help you to the car,” John B interrupted._ _

__“No!” Jemma and JJ both shouted at the same time._ _

__“I can walk perfectly fine,” Jemma tried to say in a calmer voice, offering John B an apologetic smile._ _

__“You’re not touching my sister with a ten foot pole,” JJ warned, pointing a finger at his best friend._ _

__“Would you knock it off?” Jemma shoved her brother back. JJ was about to retaliate when Pope and Kie stepped in._ _

__“Alright, you two,” Kie said, putting her hands on Jemma’s shoulders and pulling her backward. It wasn’t a rare occurrence for Jemma and JJ to fight, in fact, it happened almost every time they hung out with the Pogues. It was just life with the Maybank twins._ _

__By the time John B’s van rattled to a stop at the Chateau, the argument between Jemma and JJ was completely forgotten. They were chatting back and forth about whatever dumb movie they had stolen from the abandoned Blockbuster even as the entire group clambered out of the car._ _

__“I gotta go get this cleaned up,” Jemma said, covering her sand rash to keep the wind off of it. She wasn’t a pussy, but sand rashes hurt like a bitch._ _

__“You got to tutor today?” JJ asked as she headed off toward the house._ _

__“Yup. In about an hour.”_ _

__“Your nails aren’t done.”_ _

__Jemma felt herself smile. Ever since their stupid argument about nail polish, JJ had knicked a few bottles from the Kook cougars he worked for to give to her. It was an olive branch gesture, one that made Jemma smile just thinking about._ _

__“Don’t have time for it today,” she told him. JJ shrugged his shoulders, trying to seem like he didn’t care. “But I’ll paint them tonight when I get back, yeah? That blue color was really nice.”_ _

__He perked his head up and a hint of a smile crossed his face. The others weren’t entirely sure what was going on, but they knew it to be a Maybank Moment. These moments usually followed a fight, so they weren’t really surprised._ _

__Trotting up the porch steps and into the house, Jemma couldn’t help her smile. There was a small part of her that was giddy. Even though it was only her fifth time going over to Kelce’s to help him study, she found herself looking forward to it. Maybe it was because she could almost convince herself that she was living like Kook for three hours. Maybe it was because when Kelce looked at her, he didn’t see the damaged goods from the cut that she saw in the mirror._ _

__After cleaning her sand rash, Jemma threw on a new outfit, something a little nicer than before that covered up the beating her body took from the ocean. Saying a quick goodbye to her friends, she took off toward Figure Eight._ _

__She wasn’t even the least bit nervous knocking on Kelce’s door that night. It was later than she usually went over, but he had texted her the day before asking to change the times a bit. Jemma was more than happy to comply. It just meant that she could spend the rest of the day with her friends._ _

__When he opened the front door, he was smiling. God, she loved his smile._ _

__“Hi,” he said, leaning his hand against the door. Jemma couldn’t help the stupid grin on her face._ _

__“Hi.”_ _

__He just watched her for a moment as she tapped her fingers against the back of her hand. Then he suddenly cleared his throat and opened the door even more._ _

__“Come in.”_ _

__Jemma stepped inside, immediately kicking off her shoes and setting her bag on the counter._ _

__“So, what are we studying to-”_ _

__“Are you _fucking _kidding me?”___ _

____A shout from another room in the house startled Jemma. She jumped, turning her concerned gaze toward Kelce, who grimaced._ _ _ _

____“A few of the boys are over,” he explained slowly, tucking his hands into his pockets. Jemma raised her eyebrows as her pulse started to slow back down to normal._ _ _ _

____“Is this why you pushed the time back?”_ _ _ _

____Kelce stepped toward her in a hurried attempt to cover for himself._ _ _ _

____“You’ve been helping me out so much I just wanted to give you a break in return for all your help,” he said. Jemma almost laughed._ _ _ _

____“Kelce, your parents literally pay me to be here. I don’t need you to do anything else for me,” she told him. For a brief second, there was almost something like hurt behind his eyes, as if wondering whether or not she would still come if the money stopped flowing into her bank account._ _ _ _

____“I just want you to meet my friends.”_ _ _ _

____“I know your friends. We don’t get along.”_ _ _ _

____“It’s just a few guys. They’ll be cool, I swear!”_ _ _ _

____Jemma eyed him carefully, but she heard the desperation behind his words. She wasn’t sure what came over her that made her finally nod her head with a sigh. It didn’t matter which of Kelce’s friends were over, there was no way this was going to end well._ _ _ _

____He gestured toward the living room and Jemma let him lead her there._ _ _ _

____“Fuck you!” the same voice from before screamed. Jemma saw the TV and the game that was on before she saw who was watching. Clearly, the game was not going in their favor. But then she saw Rafe Cameron and Topper Thornton sitting on Kelce’s couch. Fear immediately rose in her stomach at the sight of them, her eyes going wide._ _ _ _

____“Shit, shit, shit!” She seethed, moving out of the doorway and behind a wall. With a scowl on his face, Kelce followed after her._ _ _ _

____“Jemma, what-”_ _ _ _

____“You didn’t say your friends were Topper and _Rafe _,” she whispered, her chest heaving.___ _ _ _

______“I said a few guys.” Jemma shut her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. “What’s going on?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jemma tried to steady her breathing before answering. She popped one eye open only to see Kelce watching her with a worried look on his face. She let out a deep sigh and pulled him farther away from the living room._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You have to swear to never repeat to _anyone _what I’m about to tell you,” she said, her voice low. Kelce nodded his head.___ _ _ _ _ _

________“What happens in the house stays in the house,” he said, repeating one of Jemma’s rules. Jemma swallowed a hard lump in her throat, cringing as she tried to build up the courage to say what she was about to say._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Okay.” She put her shaking hands up and took a deep breath in through her nose. “Don’t be mad at me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Why would I be mad?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Because I’m about to tell you something that might ruin your perception of me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Nothing could do that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Jemma ignored the way her heart spiked. She heaved out a sigh, tapping her head against the wall again. There was no easy way to say what she was about to say._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“JJ and I got into an argument once a few months back. A bad one,” she started, peering back at the entrance to the living room as if waiting for someone to walk right through. “He wouldn’t let me run off with this touron I met at a party. I was angry as hell and horny as hell and drunk as hell, so I did something I knew would royally piss him off.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kelce scowled, still not really understanding. Jemma was hoping that she could get him to understand without spelling it out completely, but it didn’t appear to be working._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I found the one guy I knew would make my brother the angriest and I…” She trialed off, gesturing with her hand until Kelce got the picture. She watched him press his lips into a fine line. “Not my proudest moment, but-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Who was the guy?” Kelce asked, his voice as quiet as hers was. Jemma swore quietly to herself. He was really going to make her say it, wasn’t he? She bounced a few times before blurting the name out as quickly as she could._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Rafe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, my god, Jemma!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Shh!” She hissed desperately, pressing her hand to Kelce’s mouth and turning to make sure no one heard. “I told you not to be mad!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kelce swatted her hand off of his mouth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’m not mad...I’m just….” Kelce put a hand on his head before dropping it back to his side. Jemma grimaced at the expression on his face. “You’re a fucking minor, Jemma. And he’s-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I know!” Jemma wrapped her arms around her stomach. “It was a mistake.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“A one time mistake?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Jemma set her jaw, starting to bounce again. She got bouncy when she was nervous._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“A multiple time mistake.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, god.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So, now you know why I can’t go in there, right?” She was begging him to understand, to just let her walk away. She hadn’t seen, let alone spoken to, Rafe since their last hook up a month or so ago. She wasn’t really intended on tonight being that night. Kelce turned away from her, his hands on his hips. He was reacting almost as badly as she expected JJ too. She wasn’t sure why he was so upset by it. At least, she told herself she didn’t._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I thought you hated him,” Kelce said, turning back to look at her. Jemma chewed on her lip, holding her arms tighter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I hate his guts, but….” She trailed off, letting out an embarrassed breath. Her words grew quieter. “I also have a bad habit of letting him rearrange _my _guts.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kelce scoffed and Jemma grimaced. That was the worst possible way she could have said it. It seemed like every time she opened her mouth, she was just making things worse. If only she could just dig a hole and bury herself deep inside. She would rather be literally anywhere other than where she was now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s not like I actually like him, or anything.” She was still trying to defend her actions for whatever reason. She just couldn’t bear to have Kelce thinking that she was easy like everyone else did. The thought forced tears into her eyes. “It was just-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kelce lifted his hand and Jemma swallowed her words. His eyes were closed, pinched shut. She waited for him to explode, to scream at her, call her a whore, maybe even shove her around. It was what she expected from men. She messed up and they came for her, tooth and nail._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________But Kelce never even curled his hands into fists. He waited to talk until his breathing was steady, until the confusion and anger were gone from his face. Then he opened his eyes slowly to look at her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma hadn’t realized how tense she was, waiting for an attack, until Kelce lifted his hand to rest on her shoulder and she flinched. He pulled his hand back, a concerned look on his face as he leaned away from her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, his eyebrows pinching together._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I...I should go.” Jemma took a few steps to the side before starting for the front door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Jem...wait.” Kelce caught her by the wrist, his grip gentle. Still, she spun around ready for the attack that she still expected to come. Her eyes were wide, her breathing heavy. “You wanna get out of here? Go somewhere quieter?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma’s body relaxed out of surprise and she scowled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m not mad at you, Jemma. You’re entitled to live your own life. I was just shocked is all.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma kept her scowl for a few more moments even as he dropped his hand from her wrist. She was trying to figure out what his angle was. There had to be a reason he was doing this, saying the things he was saying. There had to be a reason he was talking so softly, so gently._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Her dad used to do it a lot when she was younger. Pretend he wasn’t mad just so he could explode later. Get her crying in his arms before throwing her to the floor. Make her think she was safe and then…._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She couldn’t help but wonder if Kelce was doing the same thing now. It took her a few pondering moments to decide that he wasn’t._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Stepping out of her defensive stance, she kept a small scowl on her face, just in case._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Sure.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________At her acceptance of his offer, Kelce smiled. It wasn’t the same, wide smile as before, but he was happy to hear her response. He walked her back to the front door, sending one last look back toward his friends._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Will they miss you?” Jemma asked as she stepped into Kelce’s car, her legs still shaking ever so slightly. Kelce shrugged and shut her door for her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Not likely.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma rolled down the window, hoping that the cool evening air would be enough to calm her nerves._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So,” Kelce said, one hand resting lazily on the wheel and his other hanging out his open window. “Rafe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma scoffed and rolled her eyes, a small, cringing smile on her lips._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I ended it,” she said, refusing to look at him as she watched the rich people houses dash by in a blur. “It felt wrong, lying to my brother all the time.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I thought you did it to piss him off.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah, I did, but I didn’t want to get Rafe murdered because I was being petty.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________To Jemma’s surprise, Kelce actually laughed. It was a nice sound, like the waves against the shore. No, something softer than that but just as powerful._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“And,” Jemma continued, though she didn’t know why. “It made me feel like...like the things people said about me were all true.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What things?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It was Jemma’s turn to laugh, but hers was bitter, accompanied by a roll of her eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You know.” Kelce glanced over at her and gave his head a little shake. “That I’m easy. That I’ve got daddy issues and that means I’ll let anyone in my pants. That my dad….” She paused. “Whore, slut, homewrecker, the whole nine yards. You’re telling me that you’ve never heard anyone say that about me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kelce shrugged his shoulders, but Jemma knew he was lying. She let out a heavy breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Fine,” Kelce said. “I’ve heard it all. But I never believed it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma raised her eyebrows, leaning back against her seat and looking at him as she propped a foot up onto the dashboard._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Really?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah.” Kelce fixed his eyes on the road. “Most decent guys don’t believe it when someone says stuff like that about a girl.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Most decent guys wouldn’t touch me with a ten foot pole.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma’s mind went back to the beach, to John B’s offer to help her, to JJ telling him off by saying the same thing. She scrunched up her nose and looked down at her hands. Never before had any of these words ever left her mouth before, to anyone, not even her closest friends, her family. How was it that Kelce had managed to pry it out of her after only knowing her for a few weeks?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I haven’t seen my parents in two months,” Kelce said suddenly. He didn’t tear his gaze from the road even as Jemma looked up at him. “They’ve been contacting you from somewhere in Europe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Kelce, you don’t have to-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No, you bore your soul to me. I just want you to know that you can trust me with these things.” He looked over at her finally. “So, I’m trusting you. My parents pay so little attention to me, the only reason they know that my grades were as low as they were was because I told them.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma felt her jaw tense, her throat starting to swell._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m sorry.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Comforting people wasn’t her strong suit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s been this way all my life.” He shrugged. “Do you trust me yet?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma felt a smile pull at the edges of her lips, but she tried to hold it back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We’re getting there.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Friends?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma narrowed her eyes, pulling at her lip with her teeth as she mulled the idea over._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Friends have nicknames for each other,” she said finally, crossing her arms. “I’ll call you Kellie.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kelce laughed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No way in hell!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I thought you wanted to be friends.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I do!” Jemma cocked an eyebrow. “Fine. You can call me Kellie. As long as I can call you Jem.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma felt her heart freeze in her chest. The only person who ever called her Jem was her mom. Jemma swore to never let anyone else call her that in case her mom ever came back and laid claim on the name once again. But her mom was gone. She was gone and she wasn’t coming back. Jemma had to realize it eventually._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Deal.” Jemma finally let herself smile. “So, Kellie, where are you taking me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He gave her a mischievous grin before settling his gaze back on the road._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I guess you’re just going to have to wait and see, Jem.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It better be good.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, trust me, I’m sure you’ll love it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jemma’s smile grew wider._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
